For over 30 years, The Blue Room Theatre has been a creative hub in Perth that fosters new talent, pushes boundaries and brings together a community. The schedule is always packed with interesting shows and there are lots of ways to get involved. We spoke with Executive Director Katt Osborne about how the theatre stays relevant and why supporting talent pays off.
What is the best thing about working in the theatre space?
To me, there is nothing like live performance. And at The Blue Room Theatre in particular, with two intimate spaces, you are literally in the same room with the actors only a metre or so in front of you. This is the type of theatre I started working in as an independent maker and director. It’s a more active and engaging experience than sitting on the couch passively watching something. It can move and affect you in deep ways. Some of the most memorable experiences I have in my life have happened in a theatre.
How do you foster new voices and talent?
At The Blue Room Theatre, we support independent artist teams with opportunities to present their work in our spaces. Artists apply to be a part of the seasons and if successful, they get the space for free and the majority of the box office. We have different ways for new voices and talent to engage with us, to develop their professional practice and to make and share their work. We offer workshops, a short works program (for 10 minute pieces to be shown to an audience) a summer festival (one-week seasons) and our annual season (three week seasons). These opportunities help new voices get their ideas off the ground and support people as they grow and develop through more significant presentation opportunities. How important is the community at Blue Room and what do you get for being a part of it? As the Executive Director, one of my main privileges (and responsibilities) is to maintain and invite new artists and audiences into our community. Our intimate spaces and bar create a great atmosphere for people to connect it. As someone who started their career at 20 years old hanging at the venue and putting on shows, I would say that this community is a large part of my identity and why I get up everyday to go to work! What makes WA different from other regions or places in the world?
It’s a great place to make art. You can make a lot, work with great people, make mistakes and grow. From what I know about other states, there isn’t the same freedom to fail – which is a huge part of growing. We support risk-taking and there is a lot of cross artform collaboration here too. Because of the size of the state, connecting regionally is more challenging, but we have some good investment from the State Government for touring, residencies and regional artists. Tell us about the Blue Room bar and what is your favourite drink?
Best bar is Perth! It’s very cosy, friendly and has been designed as a homage to theatre practice (complete with lighting truss holding up the lights!) I don’t drink alcohol so much these days, so you’ll find me with a non-alcoholic beer in hand most show nights. In summer we lucky enough to have our own specially made ‘Summer Nights’ pale ale, thanks to Boston Brewery – which was definitely a big fave. Why did you pick ArtsPay and what would you say to other orgs considering joining?
We support artists and so does ArtsPay. We also have Sustainability as a core value and wherever possible want to make sure our money supports the industry in an ethical way. We love being early adopters in this space and would encourage venues and businesses to get on board! We’re excited to see the support of artists starting to roll out too.